hopIQ
ENDE
Build your DNASign in

Hipster Fuel

Tap to rate

An IPA of northwestern cut, and the beer the brewery points to when someone asks what it has for hop drinkers. It pours clear gold, with cereal malt and a touch of caramel sitting under grapefruit peel, pine and a floral note. The bitterness builds through the glass and coats rather than snaps, and the finish is dry. The recipe is reworked each time it is brewed, so the hop bill shifts from batch to batch.

ABV
6.8%
Bitterness
Strongly bitter
Resinous hop bitterness
SRM
golden8
PaceTwo or Three

AWARDS

Gold · 2025
BC Beer Awards
American IPA
★Gold — BC Beer Awards (American IPA)
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
hoppypineycitrusy
hoppy
piney
citrusy
floral
malty
caramel
Aroma
The nose leads with bright grapefruit peel and pine needle character, layered over a subtle floral undertone.
also:clean
not found:juicy,roasted,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Hipster Fuel

◎ Appearance

Pours a clear, bright golden hue with excellent transparency. The head is moderate and settles to a thin collar with steady lacing. Carbonation appears well-integrated, lending a fine bead that sustains throughout the glass.

clear goldmoderate headfine carbonation

◌ Aroma

The nose leads with bright grapefruit peel and pine needle character, layered over a subtle floral undertone. Below the hop expression sits a foundation of cereal Malz and a whisper of caramel sweetness. The bouquet is clean and straightforward, with hop character dominant but not aggressive.

grapefruit peelpinefloral hintscereal Malz

◐ Taste

Entry is smooth and malt-forward, with cereal grains and a touch of caramel providing sweetness. Mid-palate shifts into the hop expression—piney, citric, and botanical—as bitterness builds steadily rather than striking sharply. The bitterness coats the palate throughout, creating a lasting frame around the flavor rather than a crisp bite.

malty entrycitric mid-palatecoating bitternessdry development

◑ Finish

The finish is bone-dry and lingers with pine and citrus notes. A slight resinous quality persists without becoming harsh, leading to a clean, refreshing conclusion.

drypiney aftertaste
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
79
Taste
80
Appearance
78
Finish
75
Serve at 8–11°C

Serve at 8–11°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Tulip glass

The curved shape concentrates hop aromas and supports a thick head. Essential for aromatic ales and IPAs where the nose is half the experience.

+ Sign in to add your tasting note

Food Pairing

What to eat with Hipster Fuel

More from Smithers Brewing Company

Bootlegger Brown
Bootlegger Brown
English Brown Ale
4.8%·Noticeably bitter
Find matches →
Boyd's
Boyd's
Dark Lager
5.2%·Lightly bitter
Find matches →
Cloudwaters Witbier
Di Moda
Di Moda
Italian Pilsner
5.3%·Noticeably bitter
Find matches →
Feck Off
Feck Off
Irish Dry Stout
4.2%·Noticeably bitter
Find matches →
Great Craic
Great Craic
Irish Red
5.4%·Noticeably bitter
Find matches →
Halfling
Halfling
Micro IPA
3.3%·Strongly bitter
Find matches →
House of Commons
House of Commons
California Common
4.5%·Noticeably bitter
Find matches →

About American IPA

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a American IPA?

IPAs are hop-forward ales with 5.5–7.5% ABV and IBU 40–70+. Bold hop aroma — citrus, tropical, resinous — with firm bitterness and a dry, clean finish.

Finding a similar American IPA

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same hoppy, bitter, dry character as Hipster Fuel will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

FEATURED IN

Compare with another beer →Explore all American IPA beers in hopIQ →New to American IPA? Read our guide →Browse Canada beers →